Wednesday, August 3, 2016

After my daughter was patch tested over spring break for contact dermatitis, I spent weeks finding the right shampoos, soaps, lotions, and other personal care items. By the end of the school year, her hands were 90% improved, but she still had a couple fingers that were stubbornly refusing to fully heal. It was around the end of May that I found out via support groups on social media (Methylisothiazolinone Victims, Methylisothiazolinone Free and Allergy to Isothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone and Benzisothiazolinone) that art supplies, glues, paints, insecticides, and almost every other item in the world contains the evil preservative Methylisothiazolinone. My heart sank as I realized that my summer would be consumed by doing research for school supplies knowing that I would only scratch the surface. I hated having to meet with the school’s art teacher to take pictures and make lists of everything in the supply closet and classroom. The school was extremely helpful and the teachers accommodated my seemingly odd requests, but I am suddenly forced to feel like a weirdo granola helicopter mom. My daughter’s teacher last year was well aware of contact dermatitis since her daughter struggles with even more allergies. Even though I'm sure it will go fine, I'm still not looking forward to telling next year's teacher that I can't buy my daughter several things on the supply list and that I WILL be labeling all of her supplies to avoid cross contamination with other kid's lotions and soaps, and that she will not be wiping her desk down with Clorox or Lysol wipes.

I have thus spent many days of my summer compiling lists of school and art supplies and briefly researching a few cleaning supplies. Some companies have been extremely helpful while others have given me the cold shoulder. I find that, in general, the larger the company, the less helpful they are (with one or two exceptions). I have found that the word “proprietary” makes my blood start to boil. I did get some replies asking me to contact my doctor. Evidently, doctors are allowed to know the secret ingredients, but customers are not. I still need to request legal information to see what rights we consumers have. If anyone reading this is privy to legal requirements in the USA, please let me know! I’d love to have a smart and valid response to “proprietary.”

Our school’s art teacher uses a lot of Blick artist supplies, so they were first on my list to contact. Amazingly, the rep I was referred to was the most helpful person I found on my summer quest for art supplies and I can’t say enough good about this company and Audra, the wonderful rep that is still helping me out as I find more products to inquire about.

I sent this form letter to each company I contacted via email or online forms:

To Whom It May Concern:

My daughter was recently diagnosed with allergic contact dermatitis for glucosides (a common lathering agent) and for Methylisothiazolinone (a common preservative in, paints, glues and markers). I am writing to ask you which, if any, of your {products} do or do not contain glucosides or methylisothiazolinone (derivatives listed below).

Even in trace amounts or hidden in fragrance mixes, these two ingredients cause an unsafe reaction for my daughter, so as thorough of an investigation as possible is essential for the safety of my daughter. Since MSDS forms to not include methylisothiazolinone as a toxic ingredient, they are not sufficient in replies. I am contacting you along with several other manufacturers of office supplies, art/craft supplies and construction supplies.

***(If you cut and paste, please add the following to the list: Bioban tm 557)

While this list is current as of August 2016, keep in mind that formulas change over the years. I hope to keep up with this list as much as possible. This is far from a complete list as it is based on what I found in my own home’s art supplies and what our elementary school uses in the classrooms. I have included the date I received information from each company and any extra pertinent notes that I received. With the exception of Crayola, I found that the larger the company, the less helpful they were. For purposes of this post "SAFE" refers to products that do not contain isothiazolinone products and "UNSAFE" refers to those that do contain isothiazolinones.

DISCLAIMER: I do not guarantee the safety of these products and many I have never tested or used. The information is based solely on what I received from the companies I contacted.

Blick Art Supplies was and continues to be extremely helpful. Audra, my contact, has replied to me as quickly as she gets the information. I highly recommend this company! Even though all of their products are not safe for MI allergy sufferers, they are upfront and desire to help.

Crayola was also very helpful and prompt, though they could only confirm a handful of their many products to be free from MI. They mentioned how helpful the list of derivatives was for understanding what the allergy encompassed. Upon inquiry I found out that this list is only valid in the United States and that each country/region has different manufacturers and thus ingredients will vary based on location. Here is a link to Crayola's list of contacts across the globe, current as of 6/15/16 for products sold outside the USA.

*The manufacturer did want to mention that they have a raw material in their factory (not an ingredient in the paint or gesso, however) that contains MI and MCI in low quantities. But, again, this chemical is not present in the formulations of any of the paints or gessos.

QUESTIONABLE:

Sax Write on Black India Ink**

Sax Block Printing Ink**

Sax VersaBlock Inks**

**Note from School Specialty: "While the manufacturer stated that many of the inks they manufacture contain BIT, they assured me that none of the Sax formulations contain this ingredient. They did want to let you know that one of the preservatives they use in the Sax inks is CAS no. 56709-13-8. POLYMETHOXY BICYCLIC OXAZOLIDINE. They did caution that they cannot be 100% sure that none of the 20 or so ingredients they use in the inks contain any of the chemicals you had provided in your list, but they do not add any as a raw ingredient themselves."

I will avoid until further information is provided. I'm not sure if polymethoxy bicyclic oxazolidine is in the same class as MI. My organic chemistry class from college was a long time ago!

RITwho makes the popular dye products was another company that was prompt and helpful. They assured me that none of their dyes contain MI or any derivatives. Most people would wear gloves, but understanding that some people have airborne allergies and not just contact dermatitis, it’s good to know that it’s a safe art supply.

Sakura of America is the company that makes Koi Watercolors. I bought these for my daughter last year on an Amazon Cyber Monday deal. Sakura was helpful and prompt. I only inquired about the Koi Watercolors, so I can’t verify any of their other supplies.

Elmer’s was helpful and prompt in reply but disappointing. And based upon my research with school glue, I haven't found any school glue or white glue that is safe. This has been the most frustrating of my findings. I have replied inquiring if any product they make is MI-free and am waiting for a reply.

SAFE as of 7/16/16:

-

UNSAFE:

All kid’s school glues and glue sticks

Faber Castell was helpful and prompt in reply. I specifically requested information on markers. The customer service rep was friendly and forwarded my request on and is getting back to me. It took some waiting, but I am thrilled to update that the connector pens, which are fine tip markers designed for children, are MI free. Here is the official letter of confirmation from Faber-Castell and I have to say, it's the most official letter I have seen in my quest.

Earth Pigments is a company that sells dry pigments. I have been looking into making my own paints and markers. Since dry pigments generally don't need preservatives, I thought this would be a safe bet. I just emailed them today after I ordered my starter kit to make lime milk paint, so I haven't heard back from them yet. I will update this as soon as I hear from them. I expect good news. This link has the company's recipes and how-to's for natural paints

Planet Inc. As far as wipes go (they are always on our school supply lists), the only wipe my daughter can use are 7th generation baby wipes and they're terribly linty. We tried them out on a road trip and they were only slightly better than rubbing a wet tissue on your skin. Thankfully, I have found Planet Inc. and they have an all purpose spray cleaner that is free from all of my daughter's allergies including MI, fragrance and botanicals. They were quick to reply with ingredient lists and even offered samples. In fact, with the exception of their Ultra Liquid Laundry detergent, all of their products are MI and fragrance free. Here is a link to Planet's product ingredients as of 6/27/16 and a link to Planet's product information page that they sent me at the same time.

N-Dex Gloves For now, my daughter is only allergic by contact, so I have purchased nitrile gloves for her to use at school when a project requires her to use a product that contains MI. N-dex gloves were specifically listed on my ACDS CAMP list, so I am assuming they are produced without the use of MI (I hear, but have not confirmed that some nitrile or rubber gloves can be). These come in extra small and are a decent size for my 10 year old's hands. They are a little big on my 8 year old daughter, but still ok. It's not ideal to have to wear alien green gloves, but it's a good alternative to simply not participating when the kids have to glaze ceramics this year in art class.

Plaid Enterprises, makers of Folk Art, Plaid, Apple Barrel, Mod Podge, Delta was prompt and helpful but ruled out every product they make.

SAFE as of 7/14/16:

-

UNSAFE:

Everything

I received this reply from Heather:

"I am sorry to inform you that the all of the paints that you have listed contain BIT and/or Kathon. In fact, I cannot think of a single product we make that does not contain a biocide or mildewcide at some minute percentage. If you daughter is as sensitive as you say...then I would advise you to find other paint products. In all honesty...you may have a very difficult time finding art supplies from regular big box stores. We add those ingredients to allow for long shelve stability. It may be more to your advantage to make some of your own art paints as you need them. Paints have been made for thousands of years, but traditionally they were made and used in a very short span of time so there was little need for preservatives. If this is a route that you would like to investigate...may I suggest starting with The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques by Ralph Mayer or the Formulas for Painters by Robert Massey. They may seem technical but give good old masters formulas for egg and milk paints that children can use. And who knows...as she grows older...oils may be a favorite for her."

Newell/Rubbermaid updated 9/1/16 (makers of Sharpie, Papermate, Expo, Parker, Uni-ball, Prismacolor) took forever to get information from. I filled out an online form for the mother company and also Sharpie. I got a mail or fax-in form, filled it out, and after bugging them frequently, finally heard a reply 4 months later.

BIC emailed back after about 3 weeks and confirmed that their ballpoint pens are safe, but would not confirm other products. This is a quote from the email they sent: "BIC ball pen items such as Atlantis, Cristal, 4-Color, etc. are all safe for your use. However, we cannot definitively confirm if our supplier’s water based inks are free from these ingredients. Therefore, gel pens, rollers, felt pens, and markers might contain these ingredients."

Michael’s Stores was prompt in reply, but generally unhelpful. They sent MSDS forms which I confirmed from the Consumer Product Safety Commission do not include the biocide in question (MI/MCI/BIT,etc.) hazardous. Based upon the reply from Plaid Enterprises, I assume most of their products are unsafe with the possible exception of oil paints.

Mattel/Roseart was unhelpful in their reply which stated that they would not disclose any information I had requested. The buzz word “proprietary” was tossed my way.

3M updated 11/2/2017. After several inquiries about Scotch glue sticks, I have finally received a reply. It's good/bad news. A few gluesticks do not have isothiazolinones in their recipes, but they won't guarantee that they are 100% free, so I'm labeling it "possibly safe." I have not purchased any of these to verify that my they are safe for my daughter, but I plan to patch test her with a couple to be sure before I let her use it without gloves.

"We have been advised for our Regulatory Group that isothiazolanone-based preservatives are not intentionally added to Scotch® Permanent Gluestick, Purple Gluestick, and Craft Stick. However, these preservatives may be used in the manufacturing facility, so we cannot guarantee the products are 100% free of these isothiazolanone derived preservatives.The statement above does not include:Scotch® Clear GluestickScotch® Wrinkle Free GluestickThis was all of the information that they could provide to you on our Scotch(R) Glue Stick Products."

MINWAX/Sherwin WilliamsUpdated 2/15/2018. Because I have a child in shop classes at school, I contacted MINWAX to ask about their stains and polyurethanes. The company was very responsive and gave clear information. They confirmed what many of us who've done research (and reader Thomas who has left useful comments below) are finding: that in general, oil-based products do not have preservatives, but the water-based usually do use MIT, OIT or BIT. I only inquired about certain products, so my advice is for you to verify with the company when you're ready to do a project.

"I checked the composition of the following products:MINWAX® WOOD FINISH®, CherryWOOD CLASSICS® Interior Wood Oil Stain, Pickled WhiteNeither product contains the preservatives listed below in the customer's email. This is based on current product formulation and information given to us by our raw material suppliers. Typically, the oil-based stains/coatings do not contain those preservatives, whereas water-based coatings may.
If you or the customer would like me to check for the components below in any other specific SW or MINWAX® products, please provide the product number/sales number and I will do so. Thanks!"

11/15/2018

"MINWAX® Fast-Drying Polyurethane Clear Satin
product code: 43010/63010MINWAX® Fast-Drying Polyurethane Clear Gloss product code: 23000/43000MINWAX® Fast-Drying Polyurethane Spray Semi-Gloss
product code: 33055MINWAX® Clear Aerosol Lacquer Clear Satin
product code: 15210Do not contain any of the customer preservative chemicals of concern. This is based on the current product formulation and based on the information provided by our raw material suppliers.
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance."

_____________________

Here is a link to the very ugly Exel spreadsheet that I used to organize my original findings. I'll keep adding and updating as I find out more, so check back.

Please feel free to contact me with questions, other product information or any legal help you can offer for getting information from companies. Thank you to all my support groups!

UPDATES:
2/18/2018: Added MINWAX and Sherwin Williams (same company). Removed all Blick acrylic paints from the safe list until I get further information. I have been on the fence with this paint because my daughter reacted to it last year when she did not use gloves. Several readers have alerted me of reactions, but I'm 99% sure now that they have either changed their formula or gave me misinformation up front. SO FRUSTRATING.

11/2/17: Added 3M (towards the bottom). Also, good news! I am starting to collaborate with a couple other mothers who are researching common exposure sources that our children may be exposed to, so hopefully we can come up with more information to help protect you and your children!

2/8/17: *Reguarding the Yes! Stickflat Glue, a user said a rash broke out on her daughter when using this when it got on her hands, so use with caution. It may have been due to misinformation from the manufacturer or may have been due to different allergens that are have been present in the formulation.

8/18/16 I have contacted Pilot, Faber Castell, Alex Toys, and Stabilo about their markers and pens. Several have responded saying they will forward my request to the appropriate department. Stabilo sent me a pat answer and a poison control number out of Germany. I have yet to call because I don't have time to spell out 3 dozen names of MI.

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You wish you were me...

Ah, the life of the "perfect" wife and mother! She dabbles in everything. She cooks and bakes, she designs and sews. She plumbs, does electrical and cement work and paints. She gardens, cans and cleans. She refinishes and re-purposes. She sings and acts. She is chronically impatient and occasionally yells; she hates exercising, no matter how fun people make it. She laughs at her own jokes. She sometimes serves up a French accent with breakfast just to make her kids roll their eyes. She gets thoroughly annoyed by clueless drivers and is often annoyed at everyone. She lives in the frozen north, but hates being cold...go figure.
Oh, crap! I've said too much. Maybe you don't really wish you were her, but don't tell her. She prefers to live in her own little bubble.